Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-07-11

The Queen of the Stage in German
speaking countries is to be our next
visitor of world distinction. Char
lotte Wolter. the Countess O'Sulivan de
Grass. was honored at recent date by
most remarkable public and official
demonstrations in the Austrian capital.
The occasion was the celebration Of her
twenty. fifth year at the Burg Theatre,
Vienna. the second theatre in importance
OF Europe, counting the Theatre Francois,
of Paris, as the first. No actress was ever
treated with greater distinction than Nine
Wolter on the great day of the festival.
As the first citizen of Vienna, the Mayor
presented her with laurel wreath of
gold. The Emperor of Austria sent her
an autograph letter and gift of diamonds.
His wife, the empress, too. laid a tribute
OF admiration at her teet, and the Emperor
of Germany sent letter to the actress,
whom he styled "My dear Charlotte.
All ranks of people kept holiday, and
from far and near presents and messages
innumerable were received by the woman
whose genius and public gifts were the
canse of all the ado, At the performance
in the theatre, the Emperor, Crown Prince
and Iother dignitaries were present. and
the house was packed. The play was
"Sappho,' with Nine. Wolter in the title
role. She was received with enthusiasm.
and was overwhelmed with flowers. At
the close of the play she made touching
speech of thanks to the emperor and audi.
ence. She is fifty-three years old, but is
still young looking. Heinrich Laube dis
covered Wolter, whom he first saw in a
small part at the Carl Theater, as long ago
as 1859. He was at the time manager of
the Burg Theater, but he could not secure
her services, on account OF her engage
ments, until years after he had formed a
Just estimate of the powers of the then
obscure actress.
Charlotte Wolter is native of Cologne.
where her father was poor tailor. She
was born in 1884. Her first engagement
on the stage was as chorus girl at the
local theater. Then she became a strolling
PLAYER, the victim of cruel poverty and
deprivation. She had not been playing
long in Vienna. whittier she had drifted.
before engaging the attention of Laube
The next year, in 1860, she made a hit as
Hermione, in "A Winters Tale" Her
repertory includes parts as dissimilar as
the leading female creations of Shakes
pere and those OF modern society plays.
Mime. VOTERS is fine face. Her figure
is strong and commanding and she moves
with queenly grace. The critics describe
her art as that of natural endowment, with
perhaps less of cultivation than it would
bear to advantage. In this respect she
differs from Sara Bernhard, her only
rival on the continent of Europe, all whose
intonatlons and gestures are believed sto
be more the results of severe mental APP
plication than of real and spontaneous
emotion.
The country home of Nine. Wolter is
in the immediate neighborhood of the
imperial summer palace at Sclioenbrum.
a few miles from Vienna. Over the gate
is the armorial shield of the Count
O'Sullivan de Grass, her husband. She
stipulated at the time of her marriage,
which was long kept secret. that she
should pursue her stage career to its
completion. Hans Makart. the artist, was
an intimate friend of the great actress,
and in one of the largest rooms OF her res.
idence is canvas by him, covering
almost the entire wall, representing her
as "Messalina." In her rural retreat the
actress leads simple life, but with the
evidences of appreciation given her by the
rich and great, contributing magni6cence
to her home.